Monday, December 14, 2015

Marlowe's Memoirs: Four Years Old

The transition to four years old is half happy and half sad for me. I absolutely love the 4- and 5-year-old years, so it's exciting to move past the exhausting 2- and 3-year-old years. But it also means that my baby is physically growing up. The cubby cheeks and legs are starting to get slim. I suddenly have a little girl, not a toddler!

One of my favorite things about this fall has been getting one afternoon a week with just Marlowe and me. The twins go to afternoon Kindergarten, and Cecily naps at my friend's house for the afternoon. Usually Marlowe just gets to be my sidekick while I run errands, but we always manage to get some ice cream or eat lunch together to make it special. I am surprised at how much I look forward to those afternoons! She's a pleasant shopping buddy and obeys really well. Never imagined that I would say those things about Marlowe! :)

It's true: Marlowe is maturing without losing her signature spunk. She helps out with chores, and I can generally trust her to make good choices most of the time. Except bed time ... she cannot get rid of her extra energy and would talk to her sisters all night long if we didn't intervene. (Clearly, you can see that she gets that extra energy from falling asleep in random places during the day. Ha!)

Last week, we had a hilarious "first" that I kind of doubt we'll have again. All the girls woke up like usual, and we were eating breakfast at about 7:15 a.m. Marlowe was being especially quiet, not eating anything. Then, Tony and I noticed that she was nodding off! Literally falling asleep at the table! Tony carried her upstairs and she slept for another 1.5 hours. I've heard of kids falling asleep while eating lunch and supper, but never breakfast!

I can't write about Marlowe without introducing you to Bun Bun. We won this stuffed purple bunny at an Easter egg hunt a couple of years ago, and sometime in the last year, Marlowe decided that she and Bun Bun were inseparable. She named her (or maybe him?), as well. Bun Bun has gotten lost several times, and lives with her arms pushed into her body cavity, but Marlowe loves her, and drags her around everywhere. She especially loves it when Grandpa Korf hides Bun Bun.

I found so many pictures of the things that Bun Bun puts up with that I couldn't choose just one!

I think that's where I'll wrap it up. We're so happy that you've been a part of our family for four years, Marlowe! We love you so much!